


I'll Always Come Back For You

by generalsleepy



Category: Overlord (2018)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, References to antisemitism, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-06 01:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18377723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/generalsleepy/pseuds/generalsleepy
Summary: Recovering at base after the mission, Ed and Jacob finally have a moment to breathe. Ed realizes Jacob has been holding in more than he showed since he rescued him from the laboratory.





	I'll Always Come Back For You

**Author's Note:**

> It's been nearly half a year since this movie came out, and still none of you have written anything for this ship. I am disappointed in all of you.

Jacob was asleep in the tent when Ed carefully pulled back the flap. Tibbett had gone to make use of their one-week passes by getting smashed and making clumsy passes at French dames. He’d tried his damndest to drag Ed with along, but eventually gave up. Ed said that he was tired, but he was pretty sure by the other man’s smile that he knew the real reason.

Along with a one-week pass, saving the world earned them a tent to themselves.

Pausing to remove his boots, he walked inside. He kept his eyes on Jacob as he crossed the room as quietly as he could, then settled onto the cot next to his.

Jacob was lying on his back, head turned to the side. Under the blanket, Ed could tell that his hand was pressed to the wound on his stomach.

_ “I’m sorry, I’ve got to get this out of you.” _

_ Jacob’s muffled screams couldn’t cover up the horrible sound of stretching, ripping skin. For a moment, Ed was terrified that he was making a mistake, that something was going to come off with the device, that he was going to kill Jacob just when he had found him. _

_ “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” _

Jacob sighed and shifted in his sleep. Ed held his breath, worried he’d done something to wake him from his well-deserved rest. Jacob’s eyes still opened. He blinked slowly, then swallowed.

“Ed.”

“Yeah, I’m here, Jacob.” He got up from the cot so that he could settle on his knees, closer to Jacob.

He pulled a hand out from under the blankets and ran it through his tangled curls. “What time is it?”

“You’ve been asleep for around an hour and a half.”

“Hm.” He stretched and sighed again. “Tibbett?”

“ _ Le vin et les femmes _ .”

Jacob smiled. “‘Course.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Hurts less.” Jacob let the hand fall from his hair and reached out. 

Ed took his hand and squeezed it gently. “That’s good.” He took over smoothing back Jacob’s hair. He loved those soft, dark curls. When they were sitting together during their downtime, bored, Ed would tease one out to twist it around his finger, doing his best to give him a headful of Shirley Temple curls until Jacob would shoo his hand away. He’d try to look annoyed, but couldn’t help but smile.

Jacob shut his eyes and for a moment Ed thought he had fallen asleep. Then, he took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. “I keep worrying when I go to sleep that I’m going to wake up back there.”

Ed’s chest tightened. “You’re not,” he insisted. “No one’s ever going back there. You’re safe now” He kissed the back of Jacob’s hand. “I promise. You’re safe.”

“I know, it’s just… Fuck…” WIth a pained groan, Jacob heaved himself up to a sitting position. He buried his face in his hands. 

“It’s okay, Jacob.” He pulled him into a loose hug, not wanting to startle him.

Jacob instantly wrapped his arms around Ed and pulled him tight. “When I came down in the forest, I thought I was the only one who made it. There were bodies everywhere. Parts…” He shook his head. Not sure what else to do, Ed brushed curls off of his forehead. “I’d barely got on my feet, when they were on me. They were all shouting. I thought they were gonna just kill me.”

Ed throat tightened. It was physically painful, an ache in his chest, thinking about Jacob alone and afraid for his life.

Jacob was trembling. “But, they didn’t. They were all talking, shouting. They--” Ed could feel him swallow hard. “They checked my dog tags first. I told you, guy named Rosenfeld…” He pulled back enough to look at him. Ed cradled his head. “I knew they hated me, Ed. I knew I was nothing to them. When I screamed when they stuck those things in me, they just laughed, hit me till I shut up. I knew they kill me and it wouldn’t mean anything to them. It’d be like them killing a--a mouse.”

“They’re dead.” Ed stared into Jacob’s face and shook him gently. “Each and every one of those dirty rat bastards is dead.” Jacob’s eyes were still distant. All that Ed could think to do was kiss him. Thankfully, after a second, Jacob kissed him back, draping his arms around Ed’s neck.

When they pulled away, Jacob kept one hand on the base of Ed’s skull. “I didn’t think anyone was coming for me,” he said softly. “I thought that was it.”

“I was looking for you,” Ed said quickly. “The second I crawled out of that lake all I could think about was finding you. I just kept hoping to God…” His voice cut out as he remembered the desperate begging, beating down the sour, evil voice that tried to tell him it was hopeless. He kissed Jacob hard, like it was the only way he could assure himself that he was really there. “I’m never going to leave you again. I swear. If brass ever tries to split us up, they’re gonna have to court martial me to get me to go. I promise, Jacob, I’ll always come for you. No matter what.”

Jacob's hand was on the side of his face, stroking his cheek with his thumb.. He smiled. “You've turned into a real loose cannon, Boyce.” He paused and pretended to consider. “I think I like it.”

Ed grinned. “Oh, yeah, and what about you? I heard you were running around schlepping an MG on your own.”

“Not like I was gonna trust Tibbet with something like that.”

Ed shifted around so that he could cross his arms on the mattress and lay his head by Jacob’s shoulder. “I love you, Jacob.”

“Love you, Ed,” he said softly, stroking Ed’s hair. “You know what? Screw, it, just get up here.” He shuffled over to make space on the cot. Ed opened his mouth to object, but Jacob cut him off. “Hey, we saved the goddamn war; if brass catches us, I think they’ll let us get away with one lame excuse.”

“Alright. I’d say I didn’t care if they discharged us together, but we can’t just leave Tibbet alone.” He got onto the bunk and cuddled up to Jacob. With how skinny Jacob was, it wasn’t that tight of a fit.

Jacob rested his head in the crook of Ed’s neck. “What’d this army do without us?”

Ed remembered the feeling of Jacob’s cold, nearly-limp body dangling from his arms as they stumbled through those tunnels. He remembered not knowing how badly Jacob was hurt, wondering whether they were going to make it out alive. Even in that moment, though, he remembered thinking that at least they were together.

He kissed the crown of Jacob’s head, pressing his face into the soft curls. 

Ed would die before he would let anyone hurt the man he loved again. 


End file.
